South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Ryan Blake Hydrick, 27, from Lexington, South Carolina. The arrest involves two charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, conducted the arrest. The Attorney General’s Office, also a member of the state’s ICAC Task Force, supported this investigation.
The investigation began with a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which directed investigators to Hydrick. Authorities claim that Hydrick distributed and possessed files containing child sexual abuse material.
Hydrick was taken into custody on May 27, 2025. He faces one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-405) and one count of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor (§16-15-410). Both are felony offenses that carry potential sentences of up to 10 years in prison.
The Attorney General’s Office will handle the prosecution.
Attorney General Wilson emphasized that “all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.”
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is considered a more accurate term than “child pornography,” as it does not imply consent by the child involved. The term CSAM is increasingly used globally for this reason.
